Miyabi ( Jap. 雅 ) is a category of Japanese aesthetics, which means elegance , refinement, courtlyness and lack of vulgarity [1] . This concept was formed in the aristocratic Heian era and was contrasted with everything rough and coarse. The most complete embodiment of this principle is found in Mono-no-Avar - the sorrowful fascination with the things that contain the soul of the Kami . Miyabi is associated with calligraphy , illustrating aristocratic novels. Subsequently, Miyabi was supplanted by the Wabi-Sabi principle. In European culture, some areas of Gothic aesthetics converge with miyabi.
In fact, Miyabi imposes some restrictions on expressive and literary art. Trying to distance himself from everything "uncouth" and "village", Miyabi does not allow authors to fully express feelings in their works. In later periods, ideas inspired by Zen Buddhism , such as Wabi-Sabi , Yugen, and Iki, replaced the aesthetics of Miyabi.